New Zealand-Korean artist Hans. returns with his new single, the melancholic but hopeful, ‘Grandmother Is Waiting For Me’, featuring award-winning Korean artist Meaningful Stone. LISTEN + WATCH HERE.

Since releasing his debut single ‘Froyo‘ in 2017 – a collaboration with indie-pop favourite Clairo – Hans. has continued to make waves across the globe. Lauded by Apple DJ Zane Lowe, who highlighted Hans. as one of his favourite New Zealand artists, he’s gone on to support international heavyweights such as Billie Eilish, Rejjie Snow, and Easy Life. With multiple EP releases and a debut album already under his belt, ‘Grandmother Is Waiting For Me’ marks a new chapter for Hans..

As the first taste of the artist’s upcoming album, slated for release later this year, ‘Grandmother Is Waiting For Me’ is a notable shift from the uptempo rhythms that characterise his recent EP Porcelain Demos. This single instead returns to the idyllic indie-pop songwriting that soundtracked Hans.’ earlier work, and dives deeper into the personal themes that have followed his career thus far. Dissonant vocal melodies float over dreamy synths and syncopated drum beats, capturing the sentimentality of the lyrics.

“I wanted to make a song like this for a while,” Hans. says. “When I went to Korea in December 2022 it was my first time seeing my grandma in 3 years. That’s a lot of time considering she kind of raised me as a child and there was never a year I didn’t see her. She’s a big inspiration to me, from all the stories she has of Korea to all her personal experiences, I get a lot of strength from her. Stories from the war, from Korea’s dictatorship era, our own family stories.. I’m really grateful to be able to spend time and talk, especially now that I’m old enough to understand certain things.”

He continues, “Everytime we say goodbye though there’s that tiny thought in the back of my mind that wonders how many goodbyes we have left. Not in a morbid way, but I think we just both know. I kind of wanted to capture that feeling with this song. Saying goodbye to someone and the guilt/uncertainty that can come with it.“

Hans. first crossed paths with collaborator Meaningful Stone through a mutual friend, Seoul-based photographer Abi Raymaker – who also shot the single artwork at Hans.’ grandmother’s home in Korea. Meaningful Stone sits at the forefront of the Korean indie scene with her innovative approach to music, being crowned rookie of the year at the Korean Music Awards in 2021, selling out shows across Korea and South-east Asia, as well as her recent appearance at SXSW Sydney.

‘Grandmother Is Waiting For Me’ is accompanied by an official music video, a cinematic slice-of-life shot at Hans.’ family home in Gimpo, Korea. While offering a perspective of Hans.’ inner world, the video still conveys a sense of universality.

Hans. shares, “I wanted the video to just show a bit of my everyday life when I spend winter in Korea. The mundanity of it, but with the song playing I guess it represents the underlying feelings you have/hold onto in everyday life. One thing though, I made it a point not to show her face. One out of privacy in general, but also I’m sure a lot of people might relate to the sentiment in the music, and this video could apply to a lot of people’s situations.”

Sitting at over 20 million streams thus far, Hans. has well and truly established himself as a staple in the Australiasian alternative scene, playing both Laneway Festival and SXSW Sydney in 2023, going on to support international heavyweights including Billie Eilish, Rejjie Snow, and Easy Life. Releasing his debut album kimyuntak in 2022 only furthered Hans.’ position as one to watch, as he earned features from Spotify Korea, DJ rotation in Korean clubs.

Coming into 2024, Hans. returns from a successful run of Korean shows and collaborations with Hypnosis Therapy, and is ready to take the year by storm with the arrival of his second full-length project.